Gripped in the fervour of India’s pink ball Test Match debut, Kolkata has turned pink ahead of the day-night match against Bangladesh to be held in Eden Gardens on Friday.
The residents of the city, famous for its desserts, have come up with quirky pink sweets. Even the iconic Howrah Bridge, Big Ben on Laketown, Shaheed Minar, Elliot Park, and other landmarks were lit with a pink hue.
Saurav Ganguly, the President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was also bemused at the sight of the city with pink lights all over.
With the announcement of the match, some individuals were wondering as to the use of a “pink ball”. The cherry coloured ball is preferred over regular balls as it offers better visibility in the artificial lights of the stadium once the natural light fades away.
The makers of the balls tried optic yellow and bright orange, which were easy to spot on the grass but batsmen, however, complained that these colours tend to merge with the brown patches of the pitch.
The eight teams that have played using it include: Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, England, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.